Garbage can cover lock



Dec. 8, 1953 H. F. ZEHNDER GARBAGE CAN COVER Loox Filed Aug. 3l, 1951 INVENTOR Patented Dee. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES j oFFIcE :.GARBAGEoAN oovnninoen Hermann. Zehnder-,Bay city; Mien.' Appiieetion Augustrai, 1951,'serie1 Ne. 244,503

This invention relates to .receptacle crean cover holders, and more specically, has referenceto a device for lookably engaging .covers such .as `those Vused on large garbage, feed and ash cans.

If the covers or lids of receptacles of thetype f ofcourse, when it is `desired to-,empty the can f or .add material to that already contained within the can. l

Another important object'is to provide'a device ofthe character described whichocan be manufactured at relatively low cost, and will be capable of application to a wholly conventional canand its associated cover with maximum speed and ease. y

Still another important object is Yto provide a device of the character described which is applicable to any conventional garbage `or trash can equipped with side handles, thedevice being so designed as to act eiciently regardless of variations in size or shape of the can.

Yet another important object is to provide a ldevice v'of the character stated which is easily, yquickly and effectively :installed upon a garbage or trash can without requirement of structural additions, changes, or modifications in thecan.

-Still another important object is to provide a 'cover lock or holder for trash cans sodesigned :as to exert pressure, when installed upon-the can, upon'the center portion ofthe lid and upon dia-- metrically opposite marginal portions of said lid, Athus to hold the lid securely upon the body of the trash can. y 1

Other v objects will appear Ifrom the following.

description, 'the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a cover holder or lock formed in accordance with the present invention, as it appears when applied to a conventionally designed trash can;

(Eigure is anfenlarged sectional View rtake-n substantially-Onlined-4 of Figure 1.

. .Referringfto the .drawings Virrdetei1,-u1e refer#` :fencey vnumeral.b5 r iesignates thel body of a `90n- -Iv.fmtimiaily formedzgarbage or trashl oan,.;said

can. nclild-inggthe lidia ehavine vthe -dependingme'f yflecured rigidly t'otlieouter surface v ofthe lid,

:provide an elongated,l flat lock bar l2, which may .be "formed 0f"any'vsuitaole materiaL such as,v steel, plastic or theli-ke. Inethe preferredembodiment V.of 'the invention, said. lock bar is #formed of a; ma-

vterial capableof being, flexed longitudinally, Vfor v reasons to be lrgiiigefapparenthereinafter.v

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, a, portion of Adjacent the ioppositeends of theflock bar I2.

`Ieformgin said loarfopenings -|4, receiving the shanksrof'elongated eye'bolts J6. A s seen .from Eigurez, theopenings- I4 are smooth walled, and are o fappreciably-greater diameterfthan the diameterof vthe Shanks of they eye boltsA so as to permit a limited amount of free movementof the eye..b'olt relative tothefend ofthe lock bar vassociated therewith, which movement may be desirable depend-ing-.uponthedesign or formation offthe particular .trash vcan to which the device is to fbe applied. f I VThe elongated,.threadedA shanksof the eye'bolts l5-are threadable through longitudinal bores I8 having internal threads f l,complementary to the threadslof the eyefbolts, said bores being formed in solid-plugsyiyso :as toV extend longitudinally and centrally of said plugs, and-open atvopposite ends 'of the plugs. y Y

I. .In the illustrated example, the plugs are formed with-spiral grooves 22,onwhich .may be threaded the' upper rendfiof -coilsprings 24,.' so asA to secure saidspringsxedly `to the plugs. NAt theirother ends-ethespringsfu are engaged with the upper loops.y of fS-hools yfili, which uppery loops yare closed togprevent occidental, Separation of. the springs from :the S- hooka f f f A garbage can of the type illustrated in the drawing is conventionally provided with diametrically opposite, outward extending handles 28, spaced from the upper ends of the cans to an extent selected by the particular manufacturer. In some instances, said handles are'spaced only a short distance from the upper ends of the cans, While in other instances, the handles are spaced an appreciably greater distance. The present .and:disposed:centrallygof the lidgeis a handle |03.

waccordairlce With-the present'iinvention I device, in this connection, is adapted for application to the handles 28 of a garbage can regardless of the distance of the handles from the upper end of the can. I obtain this characteristic in the invention, by threadable adjustment of the eye bolts I6 in the plugs 20. Obviously, by threading the eye bolts downwardly through the plugs, the distance between the S-hooks 26 and the ends of the lock bar l2 disposed thereabove can be varied without affecting the amount of expansion o1' pull of the springs, said adjustment being operative to permit application of the holder to any of various makes of trash cans.

Should the handles 28 be spaced from the upper end of the can a distance greater than that illustrated in Figure 2, it is necessary merely'to thread the eye bolts upwardly out of` the plugs 20, to the extent found most desirable. e

In assembling the device with the lid of a trash can, the user first extends the lock bar I2 through the handle I0. Thereafter, the user extends the eye bolts I6 through the openings I4, and threads said eye bolts into the plugs 20 associated therewith to that extent found'desirable. The S-hooks 26 are then placed in engagement with the handles 28, placing the springs 24 under tension. As a. result, the opposite ends of the lock bar l2 arejflexed downwardly as illustrated in Figure 2, so that the end portions of said bar are engaged against diametrically opposite-marginal portions of the lid 6, the points of contact between the lock bar and said marginal'portions being designated 30. As a result, heavy downward pressure is exerted against the lid 6 at the center oi the lid, and at diametrically opposite marginal areas thereof. As a result, the lid issecurely held upon the body of the trash can, and is incapable of being removed by marauding animals or the like.

At such time as it may be desired to vhave access to the interior of the trash can, it is merely necessary to unhook one of the S-hooks 26 from the handle 28 associated therewith, this permit ting easy removal of the lid or coverV 8. t u

I believe it will be apparent that the cover lock formed in accordance with the ypresent in# vention can be applied to any of various makes of trash cans, without modiiication or "structural additions to said cans, and without formation of the device itself with special modiiied features. The adjustable feature at the opposite ends of the device permits use o f the device on trash cans in which the spacing of the handles 28 from the upper end of the can may vary. In each instance, the spring 24 is placed under a predetermined tension, to hold the lid securely upon the body of the receptacle or can. y

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specic use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. VNor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry -out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor changes in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination, a can body having an open upper end, diametrically opposite side handles spaced from the upper end of the body, a removable cover on. said upper end having a raised center portion and a bail handle centered upon said center portion, an elongated flexible lock bar proportioned to extend substantially dia-` metrically across said cover through the bail handle and having its ends projecting beyond the periphery of the cover; vertically arranged springs extending along opposite sides of the can .body `betweenthe cover and the respective side handles; and means connecting the upper ends of the springs to the projecting ends of the lock bar for adjustment of said upper ends of the springs toward and away from the lock bar, said means including bolts rotatably mounted upon and depending from the ends of the lock bar and plugs having axial, threaded bores receiving said bolts, for adjustment of the plugs longitudinally of the bolts responsive to rotation of said bolts, said plugs having their outer surfaces spirally grooved for threading of the plugs into the upper ends of the springs, said springs being detachably connected at their lower ends to the said side handles to tension the springs and iiex the lock bar into engagement with the center and diametrically opposite marginal areas of the cover, said springs and lock bar coacting to bias the cover in the direction of the body.

2. In combination, a can body having an open upper end, a removable cover on said upper end, diametrically opposed side handles on the exterior of said can body and spaced below the upper end of the can body, a raised center portion on said cover, a bail handle on said center portion, an elongated flexible lock bar, said lock bar` being greater in length than the diameter of the cover and can body'and having opposed free ends, said lock bar overlying the cover diametrically and extending through said bail handle, and spring means acting betweenthe free ends of the lock bar and said side handles and exing said lock bar downwardly into engagement with said center portion and other portions of the cover, said lock bar being otherwise unsecured to said cover.

'HERMAN F'. ZEHNDER.

References'Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

